the distributed selfie

‘Distributed selfie’ is a graphic-digital animated image that takes as its background the window frames of the iconic Colosseo Quadrato (Square Colosseum) or Palazzo della Civilta’ in Rome. The well-known travertine marble building, founded at the end of the ‘30s for Mussolini’s will, was originally designed to be part of the World Fair of 1942. At the moment, the Colosseo Quadrato serves as the headquarters of the Fashion house Fendi. Selfies of the artist randomly move through the symmetrically arranged arched windows of the building, drawing our attention to the designs of social media platforms that routinely function as the selfie’s technical support. The analogy between a monumental architectural form and that of the selfie is further intensified through the use of a background image referencing Borromini’s ‘forced’ perspective at Palazzo Spada. Looped in a perpetual motion the selfie gradually sabotages its monumental aspirations, completing its cycle by vacating the historical building.